The 8.23MW combined heat and power plant plant was opened by HRH The Duke of Rothesay, after a consortium of energy and distillery companies, including Rabo Project Equity BV, and the Combination of Rothes Distillers Limited (CoRD) spent the last couple of years building it.

The £60.5 million project will now replace the existing, carbon intensive CoRD plant that currently process all of the waste biomass produced during the distillation process. In addition to producing energy, the new biomass plant will generate heat and a protein supplement known as Pot Ale Syrup, that can be used as animal feed.

It is expected to save around 46,000 tonnes of carbon a year if a regular coal plant had been used to power the waste processing.

Speaking at the ceremony, Adrian Bowles , the chief executive officer of Helius Energy said: “This is renewable energy in action using innovative technology to provide enough power for 9,000 homes, and produce animal feed using by-products from local whiskey distilleries. Projects like these will increasingly form part of the UK energy mix.”